A Heart So True
by ChocoChipKitty
Summary: Ash Ketchum is a fighter, he's a dreamer, and his heart is always strong. Now, with Team Rocket on the rise, and some of the nation's most powerful trainers taken out of the picture, it's left up to Ash and his friends to save the world. After all, he's done it before, hasn't he? PokeShipping/ContestShipping/LeafGreenShipping. T for blood.
1. The Call at Midnight

**March 21.** **Near midnight.** **Pallet Town.**

* * *

All he could see was -

Cold black eyes.

Yellow fur.

And then -

A sudden, shocking pain.

Water, so much water. _Can't breathe!_

Red hair...

And a bike.

He grabbed the handlebars, vaulted onto the seat and started pedaling. Those cold black eyes - they kept staring, unblinking, unrelenting. And then the shadows - they were chasing him - following him -

He suddenly realized, in a moment of intense panic, that _he wasn't going to make it._

And then there was the cliff. The bike tore through the air, not losing speed for a moment. He tried to land - he had to land. He couldn't let it end here. No!

The bike hit the ground with a sharp jolt and slipped, skidding out of control. He tumbled into the mud, scraping his skin against the ground. The shadows descended, screeching, yelping.

His mind was racing with fear and adrenaline.

 _Have to protect -_

No. He couldn't.

 _Can't let them kill -_

But he was too scared, there was no way he could do it.

 _Have to -_

But no -

 _Have to protect him -_

He was terrified, but he had to do it.

 ** _"COME AND GET ME!"_**

There was a blinding flash of light. An explosion. Horrible, excruciating pain.

He _screamed._

And then - then, suddenly, the shadows were gone.

He tried to focus. It was blurry, fuzzy.

There was light. A rainbow. And a mystery, a strange being, one he didn't know...

 _And then._ Then he saw, again, those cold black eyes. But now - now, suddenly, they weren't so cold and black. No, now they were so full of warmth and light and color and... and...

 _Love..._

* * *

Ash was breathing hard and fast when his eyes snapped open and he awoke.

His bedsheets were cold and damp with sweat. He took a long moment to catch his breath, to relax a little, and after a few moments - though his heart was still beating rapidly and his veins were still pumping with adrenaline - he at last tried to recall his dream.

Ash closed his eyes, letting the memories and the details come flooding back to him.

And he could remember -

Cold black eyes, red hair, a bike... the shadows... the pain... _"COME AND GET ME!"..._

 _Oh._

Ash let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. It was the first day of his journey - that was what the dream had been about. The day he met Pikachu. The day he met Misty. And the day that Pikachu learned to trust him.

Ash steadied his shaking hands.

It wasn't the first time he'd had such a dream - no, definitely not. There had been several times when he'd woken similarly to this, with only a few fuzzy memories of Misty's red hair and Pikachu's cold, distrusting, unforgiving gaze.

And always that one phrase - the one he'd never forget - the one that Ash felt defined him more than anything else: _"COME AND GET ME!"_

No, it wasn't the first time he'd had the dream. It was, though, the first time he'd had the dream in quite a long time. Maybe a whole year. And he wasn't complaining; the dream wasn't so much a dream as it was a _nightmare._ He was fine with not having it again for the rest of his life.

The first day of his journey had been the best day of his life, and he still considered it as such, but it was also the most terrifying up to that point. In fact, Ash was sure that he _still_ had yet to be as scared as he had been then.

And no matter how many times he had that same dream, the terror was always just as real.

Ash closed his eyes again. It was the first time he'd ever found himself in a truly life-threatening situation, and it was the first time he'd willingly thrust himself into harm's way to protect someone else. No, it wasn't the _last_ time in his life he would be faced with that decision, but it was the first, and the most difficult.

And Ash had chosen to protect his Pikachu.

The raven-haired boy shuddered. Most other times in his life that he'd come close to death (or _actually_ died) up to now had been a result of something he couldn't control. That first time was different. It was _his decision._ And he was _scared._ He didn't know what was going to happen. He was a little kid getting attacked by a swarm of powerful wild creatures, forced to make a life-or-death decision. But he told himself he had to protect his Pikachu, and he forced himself to follow through with it. It was the first time in his life that Ash considered himself to be genuinely _brave._

He learned in that one moment that bravery wasn't about not being scared. It was about being scared and doing it anyway, and it was one of the most terrifying choices to ever be faced with.

Ash let his tense muscles relax. He didn't know what time it was, but it was dark, so it was either really, really late or really, really early. Either way, he was going back to sleep.

But before he could close his eyes...

"Pika...pi," a small voice mumbled from beside him.

Ash rolled over on his side to come face to face with a just-waking Pikachu, who was curled up beside him on the bed. "Hey, buddy..." Ash whispered. "Sorry to wake you. I, uh... I kinda had a nightmare."

"Pika, pikapi." The little yellow mouse yawned, stretched, and snuggled closer to Ash, licking his trainer's cheek affectionately. _"Chaaa~"_

"Thanks, buddy," Ash murmured as his eyelids drooped and he drifted back into unconsciousness. "Love you too..."

* * *

 **March 21.** **Earlier that night.** **Cerulean City Gym.**

* * *

"That is _not_ Suicune," Misty Waterflower said dubiously, squinting at the piece of paper in her hands.

Her older sister, Lily, stuck out her lower lip in a pout. "Is too! I saw it with my own two eyes!"

"Is _not,_ Lily. Besides, even if you _did_ really see it, this photograph" - the redhead held up the object in question - _"definitely_ doesn't cut it as proof."

Lily scowled. "So? I don't have to be good with a camera."

"Well, no, but don't go around saying you saw Suicune without something... _recognizable_ as proof."

Lily huffed. "I don't have to listen to you."

There was a small pause.

"You're right," Misty finally conceded. "You don't. But... I definitely think you should."

"Whatever," Lily mumbled, rolling her eyes as she walked away to go pester somebody else. Or maybe call all of her friends, all of her friends' friends, and the local news to tell them about her photograph.

Misty frowned, then sighed.

"Well... this'll play out interestingly for sure."

Her thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing. " _Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call! Phone call!_ _Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call! Phone call!_ _Ring ring ring! Ring ring ri - "_

Misty snatched the receiver before it could "ring ring ring" any further, cursing under her breath. After at least ten years of trying to change the stupid ringtone - yes, she had gotten annoyed enough with it as early as five years old - and she _still_ couldn't figure out the dang thing!

"Who _is_ it? Ash again?" she grumbled, annoyed, as the image started to come into focus. _This'll make the third time today! If he wants to talk to me so bad, why doesn't he just come and visit!_

But, oddly enough, there was no vocal response to Misty's question. The redhead's eyes narrowed, her brow creasing in a frown as she peered at the screen, trying to make out anything at all recognizable, but the image was far too blurry. She was suddenly reminded of her sister's photo of the "Suicune" she'd apparently seen and bit back a laugh, now a bit amused at the thought of the picture.

But when the static dissipated enough for Misty to finally make out some sort of an image, the laugh caught in her throat, and she froze.

It wasn't Ash.

After a long, stunned silence, Misty finally spoke, her voice catching as she tried to speak.

"Wh-why - " The words stuck in her throat, and she forced them out. "Why are _you_ calling here?"

She was clearly shocked, and as she spoke her tone slowly took on a strange, cold hardness, and it was lined with an emotion that could only be interpreted as anger.

There was, again, no response, so Misty repeated herself.

 _"Tell_ me!" she hissed, the anger in her voice growing more prominent, though she was shaking as if she were about to cry. _"Why_ are you calling? Why _now,_ after this long?"

A deep, masculine voice voice, almost void of emotion in stark contrast to Misty's, responded:

"I... I have called to warn you, daughter. You, and all of your sisters."

* * *

The strange-looking man, sharply dressed in a deep brown lapel trench coat and a Panama hat of matching color - which was, at that moment, tipped downward to hide his face - gazed coldly at the region spread out before him.

He could see his destination with ease - it was as clear as day. A cold smile graced his lips, and his fingers brushed against the small, hard object tucked within the shallow folds of his coat.

 _This_ , he mused silently to himself, _shouldn't be too hard at all._

Now, first of all, to find the child for whom he was searching...

* * *

 **So, how do you like it so far? For all you die-hard PokeShippers out there, by the way, there will be a lot of that throughout this story. ;) So look forward to it. And since ContestShipping and LeafGreenShipping are also OTPs of mine, be ready for that.**

 **(Also, I feel like the best way to start a prologue is almost _always_ with a dream. Which is why I did. XD)**

 **This, by the way, will consist of a plot somewhat reminiscent of the first fanfiction I ever wrote - The Ash Conspiracy: Down in Flames. I didn't do so well on it, but this story is far more thought-out than that one was, and it has plenty more cool stuff in it, along with a better developed plot.**

 **Well anyway, I'm really excited for this whole idea, and I've got some really good plot stuff planned out, so I hope ya stick around!**


	2. The Stranger in the Street

**March 22. Early morning. Petalburg City Gym.**

* * *

May Maple's day was off to a terrible start, and it wasn't even seven in the morning.

First of all, she couldn't sleep. She hadn't been able to sleep pretty much all night, and she had no clue why.

Well, okay, that was kind of a lie. She knew the reason she couldn't sleep. It was because every _single_ time she finally settled down and got comfortable, this strange feeling crept over her. Like she was being watched, listened to, _tailed_ somehow...

It was irrational, May knew, but it still made it nearly impossible for her to sleep. Whenever she did manage to drift off throughout the night, she would fall into a restless and fitful sleep, tossing and turning until she finally woke herself back up. And while she did know that the strange feeling was the reason, she had no idea why she was even getting such an odd sensation.

Eventually, morning came, and May woke up... on the floor. She was sore all over, and she probably hadn't gotten more than a measly two or three hours of sleep, but she wasn't about to try and go _back_ to sleep. It would be a fruitless effort; even though she had never been a morning person, May figured that sleeping in was _not_ going to be a successful endeavor this time around.

She struggled to disentangle herself from her blankets - if there was one thing that being tired did to her, it made her even _more_ clumsy than usual - and stumbled out of her bedroom and down the hallway.

She'd been home for awhile now. Following her Hoenn, Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh journeys, May had come back to Hoenn to visit her family before the new season started. She also wanted to retry the Pokemon Contest League here in Hoenn. _This year,_ May told herself determinedly, _is going to be my best yet._

Then there was Drew. She blushed a little thinking about him. May wasn't sure where her rival would be going this year, but she could only hope he would be in Hoenn again, too.

As for Ash, well, she knew he'd be heading off to some new region this year, yet again. "Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova so far," May mused to herself. "Wonder where he'll go next..."

Then there was Max, who - as May well knew - would be finally starting his Pokemon journey this year. May smiled to herself; that would be exciting. She knew he'd been looking forward to this for years...

"Okay," May decided. "I'll train a little today, and" - she broke off with a yawn - "then maybe I'll go see Drew..."

Then she tripped and fell into the wall, leaving a very ugly bruise on her left cheek.

No, May Maple's day was definitely not starting off right.

* * *

 **March 22. Early morning. Pallet Town.**

* * *

Ash woke up early that morning.

He knew the moment his eyes snapped open that he wasn't about to fall back asleep. Seeing that Pikachu was still snoozing beside him, he was quiet and careful as he got up, got dressed, and headed out of his room.

Now, I'm sure we all know that Ash's idea of "quiet" and "careful" goes a little something like this: fall out of bed, hobble over to his dresser, knock over his lamp, whisper-yell "I'm sorry" as loud as possible, slam open his dresser drawers, grab his clothes, step on an old toy Nidoking whose spikes hadn't gotten any less sharp, and jump around the room crying "OW!" multiple times.

Needless to say, Pikachu woke up soon enough, as did Ash's mother.

"It's alright," Delia said with a smile, trying to convince her son that his profuse apologies were unnecessary. "I needed to get up early to make those pancakes anyway..."

She winked at him then, and both Ash and Pikachu perked up right away.

What was he supposed to be sorry for again?

* * *

"Mmmmm," Ash said happily as he munched on his fifteenth (or maybe sixteenth) pancake. "Mom... you are the most AMAZING cook... on the PLANET."

"Pika!" Pikachu protested. "Pika-chu, pika!"

Ash frowned for a moment, trying to decipher what Pikachu meant, then laughed. "Well, I'm not saying Brock and Cilan aren't good," he promised, "but no one can hold a candle to Mom."

"Thank you, Ash dear," Delia said with a smile. She turned to gaze thoughtfully at Pikachu. "Isn't it interesting how you can understand what Pikachu's saying?"

Ash grinned, and his mother cringed at the view of half-chewed food. "Well, I mean, we're partners," he said after swallowing. "Of course we get each other, y'know?"

Delia was about to respond when, suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine, and a strange feeling settled down upon her - almost as if she were being watched somehow. She paused for a moment to glance uneasily about the room.

"Mom?" Ash prompted, cocking his head, as Pikachu did the same. "What's wrong?"

Delia shook her head, trying to rid herself of the feeling. She put on another smile for her son. "Nothing, dear."

But though she didn't feel it anymore, something was still watching.

* * *

 **March 22. Late morning. Cerulean City Gym.**

* * *

"Misty?"

The redhead looked up at her sister's voice. "Daisy," she sighed. Bags of exhaustion hung under her eyes. She hadn't even tried to sleep last night. When her father - the mere thought of him made her want to spit - had called last night, she had found herself somehow unable to hang up the phone. She had stared, transfixed, as he spoke to her in cold monotone.

There was no "I'm sorry." No important reason why he had left them, no justification for abandoning her family. There were no sentiments, either. Granted, Misty hadn't really been expecting any kind of "I love you" or "I miss you" after all this time, but she sorely felt the absence of those simple words.

He'd even had the nerve to call her his _daughter!_ What kind of a man does that? Leaves his family, then calls back years later and acts like nothing happened? Like he can still claim them as _family_? The moment he hung up, Misty had stormed around the house for a good ten minutes, venting her frustration and pretending the walls were listening.

But as soon as she had calmed down, his warning came back to haunt her.

Was it even true?

And if so, what difference did it make? She was just a girl; a gym leader, sure, but only a fifteen-year-old girl whose name wasn't nearly as well known as some other hotshot trainers out there.

Did what her father told her really affect her at all?

* * *

 _"Misty, you need to listen."_

 _"Leave me alone, you - you - "_

 _"I must warn you."_

 _"No! You abandoned us! Why shouldn't I just hang up now?"_

 _"You could," he said coldly, uncaringly. For some reason, though, Misty didn't hang up. Rather, she clutched the receiver to her ear, suddenly anxious to hear what this man had to say that made him contact her for the first time in years._

 _"You're in danger," her father continued, apparently seeing she had no intention of ending the call. "I assume you've heard of the organization called Team Rocket?" Seeing her nod, he kept going. "I have discovered that their leader, Giovanni, plans to take control of this entire nation."_

 _She snorted. "Tell me something I don't know. They've wanted to take over Kanto since I can remember, and they never get anywhere."_

 _"I am speaking of the **entire nation.** All of Napaj. All five regions." _

_His tone unsettled her, but she tried to act nonchalant. "So they've expanded their horizons a little. Is that all?"_

 _She moved to hang up the phone, but hesitated for one brief moment, and that brief moment was enough._

 _"Team Rocket is stronger than you believe. There is something they have been working on for years now, something the likes of which has never been seen before," her father snarled. "And soon they plan to unleash it."_

 _"Mewtwo," Misty mumbled under her breath, recalling suddenly the encounter they'd had on Mount Quena. "Oh, don't tell me they're trying **that** again..." _

_Her father either didn't hear her comment or ignored it. "This could put the entire world in danger. You especially." His face remained hard and cold as if made of stone._

 _"I've warned you. Now goodbye, Misty Waterflower."_

 _She stiffened quite suddenly at the way he used her last name. He hung up, but still she didn't move, turning his words over and over in her mind..._

 _The way he'd said "Waterflower"..._

 _As if it wasn't his own surname as well._

* * *

After the call, Misty had spent at least two hours trying to figure out what on earth he had meant by that. "If you're going to warn someone, no need to be so doggone cryptic about it," she had grumbled to herself.

Finally, though, she decided to go to sleep. She would tell her sisters about it in the morning, but for now, she needed rest...

But somehow, for some reason, she just couldn't drift off.

And then she had received her second late-night call from a virtual stranger, except this time, the news was far more unsettling.

So Misty had gotten to packing, because she had a trip to make to Viridian City.

* * *

 **March 22. Late morning. Petalburg City.**

* * *

Drew Hayden didn't quite know how he'd ended up in May's hometown. It was something along the lines of her dragging him back to meet her family and so they could train together and so they could start their journey together and, oh look, she'd happened to buy an extra boat ticket four weeks ago, and already made reservations in a little motel down the street from her house! What a coincidence.

So, yes, he had ended up in Petalburg City somehow, and it was partially against his will. But Drew didn't mind so much. It was a nice town, and the air was fresh and clear - nothing like his hometown. LaRousse City was pretty much the opposite of nature, so Petalburg's simplistic environmental beauty was a welcome change of pace.

His Pokemon clearly loved it, too. Roserade especially seemed to enjoy the fresh air.

All in all, there was really no problem with being in Petalburg City except for May's father.

Norman Maple had mastered the death glare, to the point where it literally sent a shiver down Drew's spine. He didn't know what the guy's deal was. It wasn't like he was being cruel to May or anything! It had been three years since he had met the naive little brunette in Slateport City, since he had been an ignorant, obnoxious brat. They'd both come a long way since then. In fact, it had been May herself who taught Drew that a person didn't have to be the best to be worth something.

But Drew had a feeling that Norman's threatening scowls weren't because of how spiteful and unkind he had once been to May.

No, it was more because of how close the two had become since then.

"Jeez, May," Drew grumbled as he pushed open the door to his motel room and stepped out into the hallway. "Why d'you have to have such an overprotective dad?"

* * *

The young brunette yawned and stretched as she walked down the path toward the motel. She was still sleepy - well, of course she was still sleepy. She was probably going to be sleepy all day, considering she hadn't gotten a wink last night.

May yawned again.

She really liked sleep.

"This is going to be a long day," the fourteen-year-old mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

* * *

 **March 22. Around noon. Viridian City.**

* * *

If Dawn Berlitz remembered correctly, the exact words he had said were, "Waterflower. Misty Waterflower. Right... and that one kid... Ketchum, wasn't it?"

She had been walking home last night when it happened. Well, not _home,_ exactly - she was actually heading to the Pokemon Center where she was staying in Viridian City - but not that it mattered. She was walking down the street when she saw him.

 _A rather bedraggled-looking man, isn't he,_ the blunette had noted, her brow creasing with anxiety as she gave him a once-over. He was pacing across the sidewalk beside a dark alleyway, muttering things under his breath, face unrecognizable under the cover of darkness. Instintively, Dawn's hand had drifted over her small pink shoulder bag, where she kept her Pokeballs.

And then she had heard him speak, as she walked by...

Hearing his words, Dawn gasped, freezing for a brief moment. _She recognized those names._

She turned her head, risking a glance back at the man, who gave her an odd look. She looked him up and down once more, this time catching something she hadn't last time.

His jacket pocket bore the Team Rocket insignia...

He followed her gaze. Their eyes locked, and she saw his eyes narrow.

Dawn called out her Togekiss and got away from there as fast as possible.

That had been last night. Now, in the morning light, Dawn resolved she was not going to leave her Pokemon Center room all day.

The entire reason she was in Kanto was to try out the Contest League here. After traveling through Sinnoh and then Hoenn, Dawn had decided to travel through Kanto next. She was expecting exciting Contests, a fresh new start, beautiful cities, and a chance to catch new Pokemon.

She definitely _hadn't_ expected to come across a member of Team Rocket muttering the names of her friends.

So now Dawn waited in her room in the Pokemon Center for a certain visitor from Cerulean City, hoping that she'd get here soon, and all the while wondering what could possibly be going on.

* * *

 **There you go!**

 **It's been awhile - too long, I suppose - but I hope you enjoyed today's chapter. Trust me, next chapter will be longer and action-packed, and you'll see a lot more characters and ships, too! ;3**


End file.
